How Do I

Court Reporter/Interpreter Services

How do I request a copy of a Digitally Recorded Proceeding?

Electronic Recording Monitors (ERM). An electronic audio recording is available in most cases in the Eleventh Judicial District Court.
How do I get a copy of an ERM proceeding? Copies of electronically recorded proceedings are available on CD, and cost $10.00 per disc. Requests for a CD recording may be made via phone. In order to process your request, please provide the following information with your request:

How do I request a court reporter transcript?

Court reporter transcripts may be requested from the clerks in the location where the case is heard. Go to the Clerks page for the contact information.
Keep in mind that only major trials are transcribed. All others are basic logs with a digital recording. Please see the FAQ for requesting a copy of a Digitally Recorded Proceeding.
In order to process your request, we will need the following information:

How do I become a translator?

A translator reads and writes documents. Contact the American Translators Association at 703-683-6100 or visit its Web site at http://atanet.org/

Is certification required to become a sign language interpreter?

Under New Mexico Rules of Evidence, a qualified sign language interpreter is an interpreter who has been certified as competent to interpret court proceedings by an organization approved by the Judicial Council. The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc., is currently the only organization authorized by the Judicial Council to certify court interpreters for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. http://www.rid.org/

What is the job market like for Court Interpreters?

There is a great demand in the State of New Mexico for certified and registered court interpreters. Many certified and registered court interpreters work as permanent employees while others work as freelance contract interpreters, hired by the day or the half day by the courts. A contract interpreter must be willing to travel from one trial court to another, and often from one county to another, to be assured of full-time work. Currently, contract court interpreters are paid $282 a day and $156.56 for a half day.

What is the difference between a certified and a registered interpreter?

Only interpreters who pass the Court Interpreter Certification Examination and fulfill the corresponding Judicial Council requirements are referred to as certified interpreters. Currently, there are Court Interpreter Certification Examinations for 12 designated languages: Arabic, Eastern Armenian, Western Armenian, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Is special training recommended to become a Court Interpreter?

Yes. Court interpreting is a very demanding job that requires complete fluency in both English and the foreign language. The level of expertise required is far greater than that required for everyday bilingual conversation. The interpreter must be able to handle the widest range of language terms that might be presented in the courts, everything from specialized legal and technical terminology to street slang. Most people do not have full command of all registers of both English and the foreign language and, therefore, require special training to acquire it.

What is a Court Interpreter?

A court interpreter is anyone who interprets in a court proceeding (e.g., arraignment, motion, pretrial conference, preliminary hearing, deposition, trial) for a witness or defendant who speaks or understands little or no English. Court interpreters must accurately interpret for individuals with a high level of education and an expansive vocabulary, as well as persons with very limited language skills, without changing the language register of the speaker.

How do I become a Court Interpreter?

The Administrative Office of the Courts of New Mexico is committed to Justice. Providing equal access to Justice is the role of the court interpreter, whose duty it is to act as a medium between the court and anyone who needs language assistance.

The Courts are staffed with 86 interpreters at 7 justice centers who, together with over 250 additional contract interpreters, serve the court and public by providing access to justice in over 49 languages.

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